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In Other News...

Vote yes on Tuesday, February 3, for $516 million worth in Seattle School District levy renewals. The money will fund everything from teacher salaries to science labs and auditoriums.

Fringe Fest Folds

In the sad last act of the funding drama first reported by The Stranger ["Play Money," Amy Jenniges, November 13, 2003], the Seattle Fringe Theatre Productions board decided to declare bankruptcy this week. See page 19 for details. NANCY DREW

Redesigning City Hall

Rumors were swirling last week around the planned June departure of city architect Tony Gale, who oversaw the design, development, and planning of city-owned buildings including the new municipal complex and City Hall. Whether Gale resigned on his own or was asked to resign is unclear; one rumor has it that the award-winning architect was asked to leave after he clashed with the mayor's office over a downtown development project. Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis says he was "a little surprised" at Gale's departure. Gale did not return a call for comment Tuesday morning. NANCY DREW

Transportation Legislation

Washington House transportation chair Ed Murray (D-Capitol Hill) passed two bills out of committee this week that could help break policy gridlock on transportation. His first bill revises the enabling legislation for King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties' Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID). The revisions would allow RTID to fund transit as well as road projects and reduce the role of unpopular sales taxes in favor of gas taxes. Murray's second bill calls for placing policy and funding decisions for all regional transit agencies, including Sound Transit, but possibly excluding the monorail, under control of a single elected board. SANDEEP KAUSHIK

Post Post-Intelligencer

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is losing two editors. Jennifer Sizemore, assistant managing editor, is heading to the Houston Chronicle, and Mark Waligore, regional editor, left last week for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. SANDEEP KAUSHIK